VICTORY (sort of).

As many of you know, I've been out of my prosthetic leg since mid-December following minor surgery that would have been totally inconsequential had not the site for that surgery been under the leg socket. I have recently started moving around using an improvised method of wearing the leg that gives me some mobility for short periods of time, but it was in no way satisfactory or related to a permanent fix. It was just better than using crutches.

When you're out of these damned things for so long, the limb, free of the compression and associated pressures, changes shape until it no longer fits again. This happened to me a few years ago and necessitated the manufacture of new walking and running legs and a considerable amount of inconvenience and down-time.

Well this time, the limb changed shape again, and when we measured it at the prosthetist's office, it looked doubtful that I'd get back into this leg properly again. But I wanted one more try at it before we gave up and started the lengthy approval process for a new one, so over the last twenty-four hours, I've been wrapping it increasingly tighter with compression bandages and keeping it elevated for hours at a time non-stop. The first few times I tried fitting the leg back on today, it was still too far out to fit, but just a few moments ago, after more compression, some pain meds, and no small amount of force--to include bracing myself on the counter and jumping up and down on that leg until it was literally hammered into place--I made it. I was in my walking leg properly for the first time in two and a half months.

It definitely hurt, but screw it--I was in. And for about 45 minutes I was walking around the house just like I was supposed to be able to do. I beat it, or so I thought.

Then the real pain came. Lots of it. The kind that clearly says: "Hey dumbass--you've gone too far too fast again. Undo it NOW!"

So off it came quick, and not without some effort, because that damn thing was on tight. And it kept hurting for a while, a sure sign that yeah, maybe I shouldn't ought to have done quite that much last night.

But today's a new day, and if I could do that last night for a little bit, I'm betting that it'll be even better tonight if I really kill it with the compression and just stay on the damned couch all day with it elevated.

I am going to beat this thing at it's own game, and NOT with a new leg and another month and a half wasted waiting for one.